Bournemouth vs Arsenal is going to be a thrilling clash in Gameweek 20 of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign with a lot of stakes added to it, especially in the title race, as these two entertaining teams fight each other at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, January 2.
The Bournemouth vs Arsenal clash should be packed with dramatic moments and a lot of action because of how both teams prioritize attacking football and are in desperate need for a win to bolster their personal goals in the 2025/26 Premier League campaign. Arsenal look to extend their lead on top of the Premier League table by getting a clinical win in their first match of 2026, while Bournemouth are eager to end their 10-match winless streak with a stunning win over the Gunners.
Match Details
Vitality Stadium
Bournemouth, England
Saturday, January 2
17:30 GMT
Dominant Arsenal Eager To Maintain Charge Towards Premier League Title Against Struggling Bournemouth
The Bournemouth vs Arsenal clash should be a treat to watch for the fans because of how both these team seem to prioritize entertaining attacking football more than anything else. The Gunners are, of course, coming off the back of a dominant 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa, which helped to knock the Villans out of the Premier League title race.
The Gunners have now won their last six consecutive matches and look to extend their four-point lead on top of the league table by getting a commanding win over the Cherries in their own yard.
Bournemouth have seen a surprising fall in their performance levels in the recent weeks, causing for them to go winless in their last 10 Premier League matches. The Cherries are lingering all the way down to 15th place in the Premier League table and desperately need a win to bolster their confidence levels.
Bournemouth have won their last two consecutive matches against Arsenal and will look to potentially extend that good record against the Premier League leaders, while the Gunners aim to overturn that by getting a big win.
Could Struggling Viktor Gyokeres Regain Goal Momentum Against Bournemouth?
Viktor Gyokeres hasn’t really proven to be the kind of goal machine that many Arsenal fans had hoped for him to be when the striker joined them from Sporting CP in the 2025 summer transfer window. The Swedish forward has only scored one goal in his last seven Premier League appearances, and that too came from a penalty in the win over Everton.
Gyokeres might be doing a good job with his hold-up play and link-up play to help guide his teammates into dangerous areas, but his final product hasn’t been the most clinical yet. He should get plenty of chances to score against a leaky Bournemouth side, but needs to be at his clinical best to regain his confidence levels.
With Gabriel Jesus regaining form and Kai Havertz back from injury, Gyokeres has to be lethal with his finishing and consistency to keep his place in the Arsenal starting XI.
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Struggling Evanilson Determined to Torment Arsenal Backline
Andoni Iraola realises that his Bournemouth side will need to be creative and clinical with their attacking moves as they’re facing the best defensive side in the league in Arsenal. He will need his striker Evanilson to regain his best form in front of goal for the Cherries to have any chances of thwarting Arsenal’s threat.
Evanilson only has two goals in the 2025/26 Premier League, including just one in his last 10 appearances for the Cherries. However, the Brazilian striker can be a thorn for defenders with his physicality and ability to get into the danger areas. He’ll need to be smart with his movement to get into the danger areas, but more importantly, the forward also has to be lethal in finishing off his chances well enough for them to get a big win.
Bournemouth vs Arsenal Injuries
Bournemouth Injuries: Ben Doak, Veljko Milosavljevic, Tyler Adams, Matai Akinmboni, Ryan Christie (doubt), Lewis Cook (doubt)
Arsenal Injuries: Max Dowman, Christhian Mosquera, Declan Rice (doubt), Riccardo Calafiori (doubt)
Bournemouth vs Arsenal Predicted Lineups
Knowing the importance of this match, both Andoni Iraola and Mikel Arteta will aim to field their strongest XI. Here we look at our Bournemouth vs Arsenal predicted lineups.
Bournemouth predicted XI: Djordje Petrovic (GK), Alexis Jimenez, James Hill, Marcos Senesi, Adrien Truffert, Adam Scott, Marcus Tavernier, David Brooks, Justin Kluivert, Antoine Semenyo, Evanilson
Arsenal predicted XI: David Raya (GK), Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Pro Sports Images
Recording Date: 20.12.2025
